Hope For The Island

Category: Mercy Ministry

  • Island Reality

    For five consecutive days now, we have been trying to cope with no power on Siargao Island. There have been five earthquakes that have hit in the evening hours. Two towers are now down after a signal #2 typhoon that hit last week.

    Nutritious2Supply boats are not running because of the weather. Food supply is Farm worker Jose 2often a day-to-day ordeal under normal circumstances and many are hungry right now. We are thankful for the produce at our Hope for the Island Organic Farm. It is helping feed us as well as others.

    With no power source, locals have turned to gas lamps. Most homes are very small and breathing the fumes is harsh and toxic in such confined quarters. Needless to say it is also a huge fire hazard.

     

     

    Ien, a young boy was burned badly when a lamp containing hot gas fell over onto his back while he was sleeping. His family brought him to Hope for the Island. We prayed for him and cleaned and treated his back. A donated stuffed husky dog we gave him briefly turned his tears to a small smile.

    A badly burned boy2Ien 2JPG2Ien
    Please pray for his full recovery and that no infection would set in. Even with so much to face, we see the fortitude of the people here and are humbled as we minister to them.

    Derek Van Ryckeghem

  • Lalu

    LALU #11For the past four months Lalu has been showing progress. The local doctor worked out some assistance for Lalu and her great grandmother to travel to Cebu City. There she saw a specialist about her flexed arms and legs at no cost to the family!

    After several consultations and tests, she was given meds and an exercise program that is helping. As part of our Feeding Program, we supply her with a healthy meal a day and have added chewable multivitamins that were donated.

    Lalu is slowly gaining weight and is much more responsive. Through a donation, we were able to get a wheelchair for her as well. This gives her much needed mobility. Previously her great grandmother had to carry her everywhere!

     

     

  • God’s Plan Marriage

    Mercy Ministry doesn’t always look the same at Hope for the Island. We recently had the awesome privilege of witnessing twenty-one couples get married. They were living together and had never been joined in holy matrimony.

    Please take the time to read Hope staff member Let’s account of how this came about. Two pastors from opposite parts of the world, Pastor Mozo from our island and Pastor Duane Siemens from Winnipeg, Canada, who was here with a team, got to be a part of God’s plan for these men and women.

    I have grown up believing that every child deserves a happy home.  Being with Hope for the Island for 8 years now, and involved with our Hope for the Island Learning Centre for 5 years, I have encountered many different kids in a variety of difficult situations.

    A seed was being planted in my heart every time I heard stories about kids being left alone by mothers who have to work. Some children are born out of wedlock or may not have proper documentations because they don’t have fathers present at birth. Years passed and I still felt nudges in my heart every time I heard of unwed couples with kids. (more…)

  • Mercy Ministry Report

    Hope for the Island continues to be a place where people from all over Siargao Island come to seek help and receive comfort and peace.  Acts of love and mercy create open doors that impact lives. Simple acts of care and concern look different for each soul we minister to. It can be cleaning and dressing wounds, providing assistance for health emergencies, giving meals to hungry widows, lending educational resources to students, feeding malnourished children, caring for pregnant mothers in need or initiating community service with kids and youth. These all establish a level of trust with locals and openness for deeper spiritual matters.
     (more…)

  • Love Never Fails

    1 Corinthians 13:8

    February was a month where “love” seemed to be in the air.  People make extra efforts to show love to those close to their heart. We focused our teaching this month on “Faith expressing itself through love.” Love is not only for those dear to us or for those who we feel are worthy of our love.

    Scripture is full of exhortations, challenges and rebukes when referring to God’s ultimate mandate to love Him and others.  It was our goal for these young people to grasp just how much God really loves them and provide opportunities for them to reveal God’s love to others.  (more…)